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Why five slots
This lesson explains what a prompt framework is and why CRAFT uses five slots: Context, Role, Action, Format and Tone.
- A prompt framework is a reusable structure for your request, usually a short acronym checklist of the parts a good prompt contains. It is not a special phrase. It is a reminder of what to include.
- The AI fills gaps with generic guesses, so anything you leave out gets averaged. Naming the reader, the goal and the format is what moves the answer from generic to usable.
- Frameworks make prompts repeatable. Fill the same slots each time, save the prompt as a template, and share it with colleagues so everyone gets a similar result.
- Frameworks are not magic words. The value comes from the detail in each part. Use them when a request is complex or open to interpretation, and keep simple questions short.
- There are well over sixty named frameworks, and most remix the same ingredients: role, task, context, audience, format, constraints and examples. CRAFT is RTF plus context and tone.
- CRAFT overlaps with CO-STAR, but CRAFT has a role and no audience slot. Name the reader inside Context instead, and say what that reader already knows.
| Framework part | What you write | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Context | Background and the reader | Stops generic guesses |
| Role | Who the AI should be | Sets the expertise |
| Action | The task, with a verb | Keeps the answer on target |
| Format | Shape of the answer | Saves you reformatting |
| Tone | How it should sound | Fits the reader and moment |
Do this in your own tools, step by step. Ticks are saved on this device.
What is a prompt framework?
A reusable structure or checklist of the parts a good prompt contains, usually named with an acronym.
What do the five letters of CRAFT stand for?
Context, Role, Action, Format, Tone.
CRAFT has no audience slot. Where do you name the reader?
Inside Context, along with what that reader already knows.
Paula Welcome to CRAFT Prompt Framework: Context, Role, Action, Format, Tone. This course is part of Complete AI Training; you'll find the full library at complete A I training dot com. It takes six short chapters.
Abby This part explains what a prompt framework is, and why CRAFT uses five slots: Context, Role, Action, Format and Tone. It is the foundation for everything else in this course.
Paula A prompt is the request you type into an AI tool such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. A prompt framework is a reusable structure for that request. Think of it as a short checklist of the parts a good prompt contains, usually named with an acronym so it is easy to remember.
Abby Why bother with a checklist. Because the AI fills in whatever you leave out with generic guesses. A framework makes sure you include the parts that actually change the answer, such as who it is for, what you want to achieve and the format you need.
Paula Frameworks also make your prompts repeatable. You fill the same parts each time, save the prompt as a template, and share it with colleagues. The same request then gives you a similar result next week, and the same result for the person sitting next to you.
Abby One caution. Frameworks are not magic words. The value comes from the detail you put in each part. They help most when a request is complex or open to interpretation. A quick, simple question can stay short.
Paula There are well over sixty named frameworks, and most of them remix the same ingredients: role, task, context, audience, format, constraints and examples. Learn one well and you can read the rest at a glance.
Abby CRAFT is a fill-in-the-slots framework. Each letter stands for one part of your prompt: Context, Role, Action, Format, Tone. It is RTF plus context and tone. That makes it one of the most versatile frameworks, light enough for daily use and complete enough for most writing.
Paula CRAFT overlaps with CO-STAR, a framework you may have seen. One difference matters. CRAFT has a role but no audience slot, so you name the reader inside Context. Say who will read it and what they already know, and the answer lands much closer.
Abby Here is that in practice. A manager needs a team update after a reorganisation. Notice how the reader sits inside Context, and how each slot does one job.
Paula So the five slots are not decoration. They are the parts that change the answer, and CRAFT keeps them short enough to use every day. Fill the slots, save the prompt, and your results become repeatable.
Abby Your turn. Take one real request you would normally type in a hurry. Rewrite it with all five CRAFT slots, naming the reader inside Context. Then run it and compare the answer with your original.
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